


Accidentally In Love

by Winter_Queen99



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Relationships, CEO Bang Chan, Fluff, M/M, Mentioned Other K-pop Artist(s), Mild Angst, Minho's Cats - Freeform, Rich Bang Chan, Teacher Lee Minho | Lee Know, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:02:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28754826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winter_Queen99/pseuds/Winter_Queen99
Summary: “Get up,” the stranger says in a tone as cold as his gaze once he has Minho’s full attention.Minho doesn't move. His mind is still fighting through the fog of just waking up, and the very obvious hangover that is still wreaking havoc all over his body.“Come on. Get up and get dressed so we can go get a divorce.”That wakes Minho up. “A...a what?” He stutters out.Or:Minho did not expect his first time drinking to end with him getting blackout drunk and marrying a stranger, but that's exactly what happened.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 49
Kudos: 326
Collections: october☆sparkle: minchan ficfest





	Accidentally In Love

Drinking, Minho thinks, is not the experience coming of age movies make it out to be. First, drinking alone is not a party. Hot people don’t buy you drinks when they see you sitting alone at the end of the bar. The bartender doesn’t even socialize with you. It’s lonely more than anything.

Second, alcohol doesn’t even taste good. It burns going down your throat. And the only taste that Minho can comprehend is the taste of hurt. It only gets better if you keep drinking.

And third… well, Minho can’t remember the third point as he loses his train of thought. He thinks it must not have been important if he doesn’t remember. That or its the work of the, well he actually lost count after shot number five, so the many shots and the few mixed drinks he had been drinking earlier.

That may be the only thing those movies got right - drinking away your sorrows helps. If only because it’s hard to remember anything when you're close to being blackout drunk.

“You ok there?” Someone asks from behind Minho’s shoulder.

He sluggishly lifts his head from where it had been resting on his hand, which is propped up on the bar’s countertop. The shot glass that he had previously been spinning around with his other hand is firmly set on the bar top as he answers.

“I’m fine,” he slurs out.

And the last thing he remembers is giggling at the stranger's confused expression.

***

The thing Minho forgot about drinking is what happens the day after. There are the hangover symptoms that while he hadn’t necessarily been expecting them, he isn’t surprised when they show once he wakes up. There’s a raging headache set just behind his eyes, the sensitivity to light even with his eyes closed, and the nauseous feeling in his stomach that almost feels like the waves in a sea storm.

What he wasn’t expecting was his mouth to be as dry as the Sahara Desert and absolutely no memories of what happened the previous night. (He probably should’ve expected the memory loss, it is one of the biggest plot points in many coming of age movies centered around alcohol. And strangely enough, quite a few romantic comedies too.)

So when he first opens his eyes, it’s understandable that he would be ~~a little~~ very disoriented. This is the only reason it takes him a few seconds to realize he’s not in his run-down studio apartment. Instead, he is lying on his back in a bed far too big for one person in an obvious hotel room that he would never be able to afford.

As he tries to piece together what the hell happened last night and where exactly he is, a door to his right opens releasing a cloud of steam. Minho doesn’t focus on it until someone clears their throat.

A stranger, only slightly shorter than Minho, is staring at him with cold, dark eyes and a deep-set scowl. He obviously just got out of the shower. Minho can tell from the way water is still clinging to his dark brown hair, and, well, the way he’s only wearing a white fluffy towel around his waist.

Minho swallows hard before snapping his eyes back up to meet the gaze of the angry stranger. (Well, he might’ve slowed down when he caught sight of the stranger’s wet abs. But who wouldn’t sneak a peek at those?)

“Get up,” the stranger says in a tone as cold as his gaze once he has Minho’s full attention.

Minho doesn't move. His mind is still fighting through the fog of just waking up, and the very obvious hangover that is still wreaking havoc all over his body.

“Come on. Get up and get dressed so we can go get a divorce.”

That wakes Minho up. “A...a what?” He stutters out.

The stranger sighs, bringing up an arm to rub at the bridge of his nose like this whole experience has aged him ten years. Minho is ignoring that as he frantically brings his left hand up to his face, almost slapping himself in the process. But it’s there, the proof of what the stranger says is winking up at him in the form of a brand new diamond ring sitting snugly around his ring finger. A quick search for the other male's left hand, which is still pinching at the bridge of his nose, shows the matching ring. 

This was not a situation any of the coming of age movies had prepared Minho for.

“Are you coming?” The stranger asks.

Instead of answering, Minho desperately learns over the side of the bed before emptying all of the contents in his stomach all over the floor beneath him. Luckily, he seemed to be able to miss the clothes scattered around the bed.

***

“I know you said you wanted to marry young, but I wasn’t expecting this,” the lawyer, who introduced herself as Jamie, said with a laugh.

“Jamie,” the stranger, who Minho now knows to be named Chan, growls out in warning. He obviously didn’t like her joke as much as Minho who has a small, amused smile on his face.

Jamie sighs and runs a hand through her already messy hair. The motion has Minho frowning once more, a bad feeling making itself known in his gut. “Look Chan, I know you want a divorce, but that’s just not plausible.”

 _What?_ Minho thinks as Chan barks out the same word.

Jamie fixes her calculating gaze on Minho. “Mr. Lee, do you mind if I call you Minho?” She asks.

Mutely, Minho gives a shake of his head.

“Well,” Jamie continues, “things get complicated when you take into account Minho’s lack of citizenship. He’s living here due to a work visa. Your marriage raised a few flags in Immigration.”

Minho’s stomach churns even more, and this time he knows it’s not just because of the hangover.

“So what are you saying? Are we supposed to just be married forever?” Chan asks through clenched teeth.

“God, I hope not,” Minho mutters.

It’s obviously not as quiet as he hoped it would be when Jamie lets out a bark of laughter and he’s on the receiving end of Chan’s fierce glare.

“Nine months,” Jamie says to bring the attention back to her and away from Minho. “Give it nine months and by then I should have everything worked out.”

Minho doesn’t know if he’ll last nine months. Not if Chan's annoyed huff and, really, his whole icy demeanor he’s had since the hotel, is anything to go by. But it’ll be fine. Maybe they don’t even have to see each other. They can just live their separate lives until the time is up.

“Oh, and it’s best if you guys play the part. So living together, dates, the whole shebang,” Jamie says.

“What!?!” Both Chan and Minho shout.

Jamie snickers.

***

The minute the car stops and both occupants look up at Minho’s apartment building, a silent agreement to live anywhere but there has been made. The building honestly looks like all it will take is one strong breeze to knock it over. Or it looks like the meeting place for many shady drug deals. Which, thinking back, was probably true. That would at least explain the people who would take off running whenever they saw Minho exiting from the building.

But it wasn’t like Minho was looking for anywhere fancy, or that he would even be able to afford anything like that for that matter. When he first moved here all he needed was a cheap place fast so he could move from South Korea and start his new job as soon as possible.

“You live here?” Chan asks with wide eyes.

Minho shrugs. “It’s cheap.” When Chan doesn’t say anything, Minho continues, “I’ll go up and grab everything important. Just wait here.”

“And what if someone tries to rob me?” Chan asks loudly.

“Just keep the doors locked,” Minho says before climbing out of the car.

He slams the door when Chan starts to say his name. The faster he gets to his apartment, the faster they can leave. He just hopes the other will still be around when he comes back down.

No one is loitering by the cracked glass front door when he pushes his way inside. He ignores the perpetually out of order elevator and instead makes his way toward the stairs that almost always smell like weed. Two stories later and he’s standing in front of his chipping, wooden front door.

“It’s going to be ok,” Minho tells himself. “You’ll get through this.”

He turns the knob, the lock had been broken since he moved in a year ago, and pushes open the door to start a new chapter of his life.

***

Chan doesn’t say anything when Minho comes down with only a black battered suitcase and a worn-out Korean to English dictionary. Minho, after packing up his life again, is too tired to try to start a conversation with the other. He’s just relieved that he was still there when he came back down.

Instead, he allows the silence to wash over them as he starts to put together a mental checklist of things to do.

  1. Move into his new place
  2. Figure out the rules
  3. Text his mother
  4. Tell her his new address
  5. Find a new job



He mentally winces at the last one. Memories of him getting fired resurface in his brain. He still doesn’t understand what happened. He was a good music teacher, the kids loved him, and his English had obviously improved. So why was he suddenly fired after working there for a year?

 _No. Stop._ Minho thinks to himself as he physically shakes his head as if the thoughts will be thrown away as he does so. _It won’t do me any good going down that rabbit hole. Last time I did that I got blackout drunk and woke up married. Just focus on the future._

He lets out a sigh and turns his head to study the driver. Chan is wearing a pair of aviators that don’t completely hide his eyes, but from the side, Minho can tell he’s staring straight ahead. He hasn’t given Minho a second glance since he woke up, or was it the lawyer’s office, maybe it was at the apartment building. It doesn’t matter though, because if Chan doesn’t look at him then maybe Minho can get away with his blatant staring.

He didn’t notice much of Chan before due to the overbearing headache and well, the fact that Chan was fresh out of the shower in only a towel. It was easy to be distracted - especially with those abs. This time he’s able to notice that the man’s hair is curly and kind of a mess. His nose is kind of big, but it fits his face. Especially his lips.

Minho gives his head another shake. He needs to distract himself. “So you’re name’s Chan?” Minho asks.

Chan narrows his eyes behind his sunglasses and looks briefly at Minho before staring back at the road. “Do you find it a habit to get married to men whose names you don’t even know?” Chan snarks at him instead of answering the question.

“Couldn’t the same be said about you?” Minho hisses back.

They don’t talk after that. Minho because he doesn’t want to deal with Chan’s rudeness anymore, and Chan probably because he doesn’t want to deal with Minho period. But Minho does get a shock when Chan pulls up to a gated community with houses that look like they cost more than his whole college education. “Where are you taking me?”

“My home,” Chan says simply.

Fear fills Minho as he realizes he’s probably messing with someone that he shouldn’t be messing with - and he doesn't know which type of rich person Chan is. All he knows is that he’s going to a new place and no one knows where he is - except for his mother who is in South Korea and definitely won’t be able to get to Minho in time if anything were to happen.

Minho swallows hard as Chan keys in a random code and the gates open. He slides further down his seat. Maybe he can actually disappear through the bottom of the car if he tries hard enough. “What are you doing?” Chan asks, exasperated.

“Trying to disappear,” Minho hisses out. “Why do you live here?”

He can see the way Chan rolls his eyes, but he chooses to ignore his stupid husband. It would be better than trying to talk and start an argument. Instead, he watches as the houses and various trees go by through what can see through the window. He keeps staring out the window until Chan turns right into what Minho thinks to be a driveway. He refuses to look at the house.

The car turns off. “Get up, get out, and get your…” he trails off before looking at Minho with a raised brow. “Suitcase, and then come inside. I’ll show you your room and tell you the rules.” And then he’s opening the door and slamming it shut behind him. Minho takes a breath before sitting up and doing the same.

And once he’s standing on the front step with the dictionary clenched tightly in one hand and his battered suitcase in the other staring up at the stone house he has to remind himself that it’s only for nine months and then he can go back to normal life. And it’s with that thought that he reaches one shaky hand out and turns the golden doorknob to open the grandiose glass front door. Inside of the house is dimly lit up, but there is no Chan in sight.

“You’ve got this, Minho,” he whispers to himself before he takes a step into the cold house.

***

**Minho Lee**

**8:56 pm**

Hey mom, I know we don’t normally text, but I thought I would try to let you know that I’ve recently moved.

You were right, my apartment was not safe, so I’m living with a friend for a few months. The next text will have my new address, and I’ll send a letter soon.

I love you.

***

**The Rules of the BANG Household**

  1. Clean up your mess
  2. Don’t touch my things without my permission
  3. No loud music if I am home
  4. The kitchen is off-limits after 10 pm
  5. Make sure all the trash is ready to be taken out by 7 am every Wednesday
  6. My study is off limits
  7. If you’re going to bring someone over give me 24-hour notice
  8. No Animals



“What is that?”

Minho startles, the pen in his hand creating a slash mark against the paper he had been writing on. Luckily, it didn’t cross out any of the rules he had just written down from memory and hung taped to the full-length mirror next to his door. After he knows everything is ok, he turns away from the paper and his reflection and instead makes eye contact with Chan who is standing in his doorway.

“It’s the rules. Figured I would remember them better this way or is writing them down also against the rules?”

Chan scoffs and rolls his eyes. “We’ve got a problem,” He says instead of answering.

Minho steps away from the mirror and deeper into the large room he was shown last night. Chan had given him a brief house tour, which Minho does not remember due to how large the inside of the house was, while rapidly giving him a rundown on the rules. The tour had ended with them outside of this room and Chan explaining that this would be Minho’s for his stay here. 

The room was about the size of Minho’s living room in his apartment. But the king-sized bed was nice, and honestly, after changing into a pair of ratty pajamas, Minho face planted into that bed and fell asleep soon after.

Which is why he’s digging through his ratty suitcase for clothes to wear. He finds a nice button-up shirt and jeans that aren’t worn out and pulls them out of his suitcase. He grabs anything else he needs for his new outfit and lays it on his bed. The black-haired male can feel Chan’s stare against his skin as he pulls his shirt off. He doesn’t draw attention to it, but if he is slow putting on his new shirt then it’s only him that would know.

“A problem?” He asks as he turns to look at Chan.

Chan’s eyes snap up to meet Minho’s gaze instead of watching the younger button up the shirt with nimble fingers. “Chan,” Minho says to snap him out of his daze, “you said there was a problem.”

“Yes. I got a call that the press got wind of our marriage.”

Minho wonders why the press would care. He’s a nobody, but then he remembers where he’s standing. And anyone who could own a house the size of a mansion must come from money. Minho wonders, once again, just what he’s gotten himself into.

“Anyways,” Chan states, “We leave in twenty minutes.”

“We?” Minho asks suspiciously, but Chan is already walking away.

This is why Minho is rushing out of the house twenty-one minutes later. He only has one shoe on, but he’s bouncing to put the other on his foot. A piece of bread toasted to golden perfection is hanging from his mouth, just narrowly avoiding being dropped on the ground. 

When he looks up he can see Chan in a black suit leaned against his black sports car. A pair of sunglasses is shielding his eyes, even though it’s only a little past eight in the morning. There is a deep scowl on his face as he watches Minho’s debacle though. He doesn’t say anything, just pushes off the car and forcefully opens the driver’s door.

Minho stops worrying about his shoe to dive into the car after him. Chan is silent as he starts the car and backs out of the driveway. Minho wisely decides to finish his toast and put his shoe on correctly instead of starting a conversation right away.

***

It’s only when they get into the city that Minho speaks up. “So where are we going?” He asks as he watches the tall buildings pass by.

“We’re going to my company to figure out what to do about our situation getting out,” Chan says.

“Your company?” Minho asks quietly.

Chan glances at him before looking back at the road. “Yes. My company. Bang Records.”

Minho stares blankly ahead. _Bang Records?_

“The biggest recording company in the United States,” Chan tries again.

Minho shakes his head. The only big entertainment companies he knows are SM, JYP, and Big Hit. He’s never even heard of Bang Records. “I’ve never heard of it,” he says truthfully.

“You’ve never. What?” Chan splutters.

Minho shrugs. “I don’t know. The only companies I really know about are Korean,” he says. He turns his gaze back out the window and Chan doesn’t say anything else for the rest of the ride.

***

“A long-distance relationship that has been going on for at least a few years,” the man with long blonde hair from HR, who had introduced himself as Hyunjin Hwang, says. “We can back that up from when Chan went to South Korea for work. You met and fell in love there and kept up the secret relationship when he came back to the states. And then Mr. Lee moved here to be closer to Chan, which was the deciding factor for you to get married. You didn’t want to make a big deal, so you eloped.”

Minho wants to protest. He isn’t some main character in a romantic drama about a woman who falls in love with a CEO and gives up her life to be with him. He isn’t Cinderella. He came here because of his own drive and passion, not for anyone else. But at the same time, he realizes this is the only way it will work to keep Chan in a good light. And himself if he ever wants to work again.

He allows himself to look at Chan and hides his surprise when the other is already looking back at him. Minho gives a slight nod before they both agree to the cover story. 

“If that’s everything then I’ll be in my office,” Chan says while pushing away from the conference table they’re all sitting at.

Minho watches him leave. “Mr. Lee, do you think you could stay for a few more minutes? There's some paperwork that has to get done,” the other person, a Jeongin Yang, asks.

“Please, just call me Minho,” he says with a smile. 

***

The paperwork didn’t take long. It was mostly forms that Minho had to sign stating that he wouldn’t go to the press and spread any other news that would contradict the information that Bang Records would put out about his relationship. It also stated that he wouldn’t share any secrets of the company with anyone outside of the company unless Chan approved it. They were forms that Minho expected to sign the minute he stepped into the company building.

“So what did actually happen?” Hyunjin asks as he gathers all his papers together.

Minho shrugs. “I woke up to a diamond on my finger,” he says honestly. “I didn’t even know I was married until I saw an angry Chan and he demanded I get up so we could get divorced.”

“That just doesn’t sound like something Chan would do,” Jeongin says. 

Hyunjin shrugs. “Maybe something happened,” he muses. “Like he just knew that you were the one.”

Minho snorts. “Or we were both drunk and thought anything was a good idea.”

Which is probably what actually happened.

“I like to think I’m right,” Hyunjin says. “It’s romantic, in a not very romantic way.”

“Are you guys done now?” Someone asks from the doorway of the conference room.

Jeongin groans, but Minho watches the way Hyunjin’s face lights up when he sees the newcomer. “Jisung, come meet Minho. He’s Chan’s husband,” he calls out giddily.

Something in Minho’s stomach churns. Right, he was Chan’s husband now - even if it was only for nine months. He was married to a virtual stranger. Everything seems to hit him at once. How could he have messed up that badly? 

“Hey, I’m Jisung,” the newcomer says.

And since when was he standing right next to Minho?

 _Get a grip Minho!_ He shouts in his head. _You can freak out in the privacy of your room. Act normal right now._

Minho smiles up at Jisung. “I’m Minho, but you already knew that.”

Jisung looks vaguely familiar with fluffy caramel brown hair and sparkling almond-colored eyes. His smile is bright if only a little rehearsed. Minho doesn’t know where he knows him from. Maybe he was a recording artist here?

“Well come on Minho, if you’re going to be stuck here for a while, I might as well introduce you to everyone important,” Jisung says mischievously. 

He decides that he likes him already. Something about his energy just seems like it will match Minho’s own. “Lead the way,” he says with a flourish.

“I like you already Minho Lee,” Jisung tells him.

Maybe these nine months won’t be horrible.

***

Jisung only introduces him to two other people. There’s Seungmin who has cherry-red hair and an artist’s smile who is a singer at the company. And Felix, who has silver hair with glitter on the side and a voice that does not match his face. Minho learns that he’s Chan’s secretary and that he makes some of the best brownies that he’s ever tasted. 

“These are amazing,” he tells the younger after another bite.

Felix flushes redder and gives a small laugh. “Thank you,” he tells him sincerely.

Minho nods, his mouth too full of brownies to talk.

He’s also learned that Jisung is a producer at the company, but sometimes he’ll release his own music and go on tours. Mostly, he likes working behind the scenes though and creating songs for other artists. “It’s less stressful for me, I don’t really like crowds,” he had told Minho.

He also meets Changbin, but the latter doesn’t work at the company. “That’s Seungmin’s boyfriend,” Jisung said from where they were sitting around Felix’s desk. “And one of my best friends. We grew up together. He owns his own tattoo shop in the city.”

“Then what’s he doing here?” Minho asks.

Changbin and Seungmin are still talking near the entrance of the elevators. They seem close, but if Jisung wouldn’t have told him they’re dating he isn’t sure he would have figured it out himself. At least until he sees the small kiss that Changbin leaves on Seungmin’s cheek before he walks away. That definitely screamed PDA.

“I dunno. Maybe he’s meeting Chan,” Jisung says with a shrug.

“Chan?” Minho asks, confused.

“Yeah, we’re best friends,” a new voice, Changbin, says.

He’s shorter than Minho thought, but there’s still something intimidating about the other. And Minho doesn’t want to attest it to his tattoos. “Oh,” he says instead.

Changbin stares at him blankly. “I just wanted to let you know that I would do anything for my best friends,” he says slowly, “so you better not hurt them.”

And Minho knows he’s talking about Chan and their sham of a marriage. He nods. “Of course,” he says quietly.

Changbin nods once, his dark black hair cut in an undercut ruffling with the movement. “As long as we're on the same page. I’m gonna be in Chan’s office, but if you need a ride home I can take you after lunch.”

That honestly sounds better than paying for a taxi back to Chan’s house or staying here until the end of the day. All of the employees have been giving him strange looks since he arrived with their CEO. And others have been glaring at him - probably because they're jealous that he is married to a successful young CEO and they’re not.

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” Minho tells him sincerely. 

“Don’t mention it,” Changbin says before pushing his way into Chan’s office.

Minho watches the door close. He wonders why Changbin is in there. Wonders what the two could possibly talk about. He wonders if Chan is going to complain about Minho and the situation they’re in, or if it’s going to be about something else. He just hopes that the ride home with Changbin won’t be as awkward as the ride here with Chan.

***

Living with Chan is much different than living by himself or with his parents, Minho thinks. Maybe there was a part of him that thought that living with Chan would be like it is in those romantic comedies where the main leads find themselves fake dating and living together. But it isn’t like that - and Minho doesn't know whether that makes him happy or sad.

The only time they ate dinner together was the night after they went to the company together. And that was only because Chan decided they needed to hammer out the details and make a plan about what to do moving forward. No matter how much Minho wanted to, the other refused to just wing it. 

“How old are you anyway?” Chan had asked.

“Twenty-five,” Minho answered.

“Good, you’re only a year younger than me. And I was around twenty-four when I went to South Korea. So we’ve been dating since you were twenty-three and I was twenty-four. We met at a bar and had a few drinks together. I gave you my number and you called me the next night. We’ve been together ever since,” Chan said. “It’s simple and close enough to the truth that we won’t forget it.”

Minho had nodded. “We should probably know the basics about each other then if we’ve been dating for two years,” he had mused. 

Which led to them listing out anything mundane and important that they could think of. He learned Chan’s birthday was October 3rd and that his favorite color was mint. He had a younger brother and sister, and a family dog. And that for his twenty-sixth birthday he was given full reign of the company.

He also learned he was originally from Australia, and that Changbin and Jisung have been his best friends ever since he moved to America when he was seven.

All of this was, of course, written down on another sheet of paper. He thought about taping it to his mirror, but that would be too obvious if someone was to go snooping. Instead, he folded the paper up to make a makeshift bookmark and slid it between the pages of his Korean to English dictionary. If anyone asked about it, he could just say that everything important could be found within those pages - which wouldn’t be a lie.

But now Chan is either at his office within the company building, or he’s holed up in his office at home. It was very much like living with a ghost. It was rare for Minho to see him, and when he did it may have freaked him out because he wasn’t used to having other people around.

Other than the staff that filtered throughout the house during the day. He wasn’t able to catch everyone’s names, and they didn’t try to talk to Minho. They just came in and did their jobs, which he actually admired them for doing so. But it was lonely to be in a big house with no one else around.

But he wouldn’t complain. He refused to complain about anything that was happening. If he could come to America barely knowing anything and survive, then he could do this. He was living in a spacious house filled with food at all times and hot water. He wasn’t living in a moldy apartment with drug dealers as his neighbors. This was paradise compared to what was happening before.

And if he had to lie to the entire public about his relationship, then he would. That would be better than Chan getting in trouble and Minho getting deported. This was the only place he could find a job that would take care of his parents. And he _**had**_ to repay them for everything that they had done for him while he was getting his degree.

Getting fired and getting married was not going to ruin this for him.

This is what led him to sitting on the couch with the classified pages from the newspaper scattered around him and Chan’s borrowed laptop resting on his thighs. He was scouring job listings for something that he could apply for, but it was hard since most schools had already started. It was December already - most teaching spots were filled.

But Minho wasn’t going to give up. This was just a setback, he would figure everything out soon enough. 

He had too.

***

“Get dressed,” Chan says when he comes home later that same night.

Minho looks up from the laptop with confusion written all over his face. “What?”

“Get dressed. We’re going on a date,” Chan explains. When Minho just stares blankly at him, he continues. “The press will think we’re lying if we don’t start showing proof of our relationship, so it has been recommended for me to take you on public dates. So please get dressed and look presentable so that we can go fool everyone.”

“Where are we going?” Minho asks as he sets the now closed laptop down onto the coffee table.

Chan smiles. “Santa Monica pier,” he says. 

Minho’s always wanted to go there. In fact, he remembers telling Jisung a few days ago over text that he was thinking about visiting since he has more free time now. He wonders if that has anything to do with Chan’s idea for the fake date night. “Ok,” Minho says, “Umm, let me go put on some clothes then. I’ll be down in ten minutes.”

He hopes that he’ll make it through this night.

***

Minho laughs, loud and bright his smile lit up in the neon lights of the pier. There’s a crowd, but Minho doesn’t mind as he moves his way between the groups of people and couples. Chan’s wrist is securely in his hold as he drags the CEO behind him. “Come on, let’s play this game!” He shouts over the noise of the crowd.

Chan looks at him with an unreadable gaze before nodding. “Ok,” he says just loud enough for the other to hear.

Minho shouts in delight as he moves quicker. He doesn’t pay attention to how he drags Chan behind him, even if the older is exasperatedly shouting behind him. They stop at a brightly lit up whack-a-mole game. Minho stares at the stuffed animals lined up with glee. Chan comes to stand next to him. “Want me to win you something?” He asks.

Minho looks at him with wide eyes. “Can you?” He asks, surprised.

Chan looks at him with an unreadable expression again before turning to the game attendant. “How much?”

“Five dollars,” the bored teenager tells him.

Chan hands over the right amount of money over the slight counter before he’s handed a toy hammer to play the game. Minho watches in glee as Chan rolls up the sleeves of his light blue button-up and stares intently at the game before him. Chan is surprisingly good at the game, Minho finds out, and he can’t stop himself from jumping up and down in excitement when the game ends and Chan is given any choice of prize.

“What do you want?” Chan asks Minho.

Minho looks at the different prizes before pointing out a large tabby cat hanging from the ceiling. “That one,” he shouts excitedly.

Chan points to the one that Minho picked out and when the employee hands him the stuffed animal he gives it to Minho. Minho hugs the large stuffed animal tightly against his chest. “Thank you,” he says with a shy smile.

“Did you want to check out the Ferris wheel?” Chan asks.

“I’m scared of heights,” Minho says.

“Ok, then why don’t we put your stuffed animal in the car and walk along the beach?” Chan suggests easily.

Minho nods. “Ok.”

This time Chan is the one grabbing Minho’s wrist and leading him through the crowded pier to where they parked Chan’s car. Where Chan’s fingers curl around Minho’s wrist makes him feel warmer than he has all night. 

***

Later as Minho is curled up in bed with the large cat plushie clutched to his chest as he stares at the ceiling, he’ll wonder what those looks on Chan’s face meant. He’ll also wonder what the warm feeling in his chest means.

***

The first rule that Minho breaks is playing loud music while chan is home. He’s in the kitchen, making dinner for himself since he has no time to do anything else and the chef has gone home for the night. He’s listening to his playlist of 2PM and other various JYP artist's songs. Right now his speaker is blaring “My House” and he’s slightly doing the dance as he mixes his ingredients together.

At least, until the music abruptly shuts off. “What are you doing?” Chan asks.

“Umm, cooking?” Minho says as more of a question than a statement.

“Why is the music blaring?”

“I’m really sorry,” Minho tells him quickly. “I didn’t know that you were home, and I was just listening to some music to fill the silence.”

Chan sighs, scratching at the back of his neck. “Well, please just keep it down. I’ve been trying to get some work done for at least an hour now.”

Minho nods. “Yes. I can do that. Sorry again.”

Later, he leaves a plate outside of Chan’s locked office door as an apology.

(A note is left on his door to thank him for the dinner. There are a few lines scribbled out, but Minho doesn’t care enough to figure them out. He was able to get away with the loud music and he doesn’t want to push it.)

***

Minho doesn’t know what to expect after breaking a rule, but it wasn’t Chan swinging by his room a few days later with a shy smile on his face. “Did you want to see a movie?”

He’s leaning against Minho’s doorway dressed in nice jeans and the button-down he wore to work. His hair is slightly messed up, but overall he looks very put together. It’s a nice look on Chan, and Minho finds it hard to answer for a few seconds. It’s only when Chan prompts him with a quiet, “Minho” that he is knocked out of his stupor.

“A movie?” He asks while rapidly blinking.

When he focuses on Chan again there is a small smirk playing on the older’s lips. “Yeah. Hyunjin’s been bugging me about being seen in the public again.”

 _Oh,_ Minho thinks suddenly. He doesn’t know why he expected Chan to want to hang out with him voluntarily. They’re still mostly strangers to each other, and at the end of the day, this isn’t a romantic comedy. Minho and Chan are not the lead love interests that get together just before the credits roll. They’re just two people who were thrown into a stressful situation that they have to try to figure out.

“Umm… sure. I just have to put all of this stuff away,” Minho says, motioning to the laptop and scattered papers that are sitting on the king-sized bed in front of him.

“Ok. I’ll meet you downstairs then,” Chan says before backing away from the room.

Minho keeps the smile on his face until Chan is gone. It’s only when he can’t see the male anymore that he drops his head and sighs. “Just get downstairs and go to the movies. You won’t even have to talk,” Minho tells himself quietly. 

A few minutes later, after all of his notes have been stacked nicely on the nightstand to the right of his bed and the laptop is plugged in charging on his desk, Minho makes his way down the winding staircase. Chan is standing at the door staring at his phone, but he looks up and smiles when he sees Minho. “Ready.”

Minho nods. “Let’s go.”

***

The second rule that Minho breaks is using the kitchen after 10 pm. He doesn’t mean to, but he had been so engrossed in his job search that he had forgotten to make his dinner earlier. He hopes that Chan is already sleeping, but he also has learned that Chan rarely sleeps, so the chances of getting caught are high.

He’s in the middle of looking in the fridge with only the light from the fridge and his own flashlight when the overhead kitchen light turns on. “What are you doing?” A tired voice asks from behind him.

Minho jumps, slamming the fridge door as he turns around. “Chan,” he says loudly.

Chan is dressed in pajamas and his hair is a total mess. He’s staring at Minho with tired eyes. “Minho. It’s after 10 pm.”

“I know,” Minho says quickly, “but I was so busy that I forgot to eat lunch. And I said that it would be fine because I would be able to eat dinner, but then I completely forgot about dinner too. And I promise I won’t make something elaborate, but I just need something small to tide me over for the night.”

Chan’s eyes soften as Minho keeps rambling. “I could eat something,” he says after Minho’s finished talking. “Do you want a grilled cheese?”

“Really?” Minho asks.

But Chan is already pushing past him to get into the fridge. Minho allows himself to fall back and lean against the kitchen island as Chan gets everything together to make both of them sandwiches. “Thank you,” Minho says quietly.

“Well, you shouldn’t forget to eat,” Chan says sternly without turning back to Minho, “but if it happens again then don’t be worried about making something.”

“Ok,” Minho says quietly before looking at the ground.

***

Their third date is a simple dinner. Minho takes initiative to plan it. But it’s only because he had gone to work with Chan one day and was cornered by Jisung and Hyunjin who told him that he needed to step up and start acting like Chan was his husband. Hyunjin had encouraged Minho to take Chan out on a date, which Minho had reluctantly agreed to.

“Would you believe me if I said that I’ve never been here?” Chan asks as they slide into the worn-down booth of the diner that Minho loves.

Minho laughs as he studies Chan who is looking at the ridiculously large menu. He’s wearing a dark button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, casually unbuttoned, and dark jeans. It’s a contrast to Minho who’s wearing ripped jeans and a white t-shirt. Chan looks out of place even without wearing the suit that he had been in earlier. “I wouldn’t believe you if you said that you have ever been here,” Minho tells him honestly.

Chan glares at him over the menu. “I don’t know if I should take offense to that,” he tells the younger.

Minho gives a mischievous smile and shrugs his shoulder. “Up to you,” he says.

He doesn’t have to look at the menu. This was the diner that he highly frequented when he still lived in the city, so he knows everything that is on the menu and what he wants. So when the waitress comes by with an obviously fake southern accent, but a genuine smile on her face, he only takes a few seconds to rattle off his order. Chan gives his own after a small pause.

“That will be right out,” the waitress says as she takes their menus and leaves.

“Good choice,” Minho tells Chan when she’s out of earshot. “There’s not a lot on the menu that’s actually edible, but what is edible is amazing.”

“Why is this your favorite restaurant?” Chan asks.

And Minho knows that it’s rhetoric, but even if it wasn’t, Minho doesn’t think he could ever tell Chan what this diner means to him. How it was the only place that he could afford when he just needed a place to eat that wasn’t something that he made. That the waitstaff was nice enough to not kick him out. It was at this diner that he would sit and write all the letters to his mother because his apartment was too cramped and too loud.

“It’s a nice place,” Minho says.

Chan doesn’t say anything to disagree with him. “I guess I just have to come around more often to understand,” he tells Minho. 

“Yeah, but you probably wouldn’t want to,” Minho says honestly. 

“Nah,” Chan says, “I think we should come here more. It’s cheaper than the restaurants I usually go to.”

Something warm fills Minho when he hears those words. But he doesn’t know what to think. Not with the mixed signals that he’s been getting from Chan since this arrangement started. At first, Chan couldn’t stand him, and some days he still can’t, while other days it seems that he believes that Minho and he could be friends. 

And Minho decides to just go with the flow, if only for his own sanity.

“Then we’ll definitely have to come back,” he tells the CEO.

(The date ends with them sharing a slice of cake, and Minho decides to not think about it again. Going with the flow may be the only thing that he can actually do at this point.)

***

_Mom_

_I hope that you and dad are doing well. I am spending my time here enjoying myself more than I thought I would. But I miss you even more than I thought I would. Living here seems like it’s an adventure, but sometimes I think that I miss the mundane life that I had while living in South Korea._

_You asked about the kids, and classes are going well. I’ve been enjoying teaching them about music, and they always seem to want to learn more and more about what I teach. Seeing their smiles makes everything worth it._

_Please send father my love. And please remember to take care of yourself. I promise that I am ok. I have the money that is due for this month in this envelope, please let me know if it gets to you safely._

_Love,_

_You Son, Lee Minho_

***

The third rule that Minho breaks is him going through Chan’s things without permission. To be fair, the only reason that Minho is thumbing through those things is that he’s searching for something he lost. To be more specific, he’s looking for his dictionary.

But while he’s tearing apart the living room looking for the book he hears the front door open and close, and then footsteps coming closer, but Minho doesn’t stop searching. “Minho, what did you do?” The voice is accusing, but Minho doesn’t care.

“Have you seen it?” He asks frantically instead, whirling around to face Chan.

“Seen what Minho,” Chan says exasperatedly as he bends down to clean up the mess that Minho had made.

“My dictionary,” Minho almost shouts in frustration.

“The Korean to English one? Do you even need it anymore?” Chan stops to look at Minho who is staring at Chan with wide eyes. “Or we could get you a new one.”

“No!” Minho screams. “I cannot just get a new one. My mother gave me that dictionary. It was the last thing she gave me, and I need it. Have you seen it?”

Chan looks around the living room with a furrowed brow. “Umm… the last time I saw it I think it was on the coffee table. But…” Chan trails off, his eyes lighting up.

Minho looks at him. “You know, don’t you, you know where it is,” he says as he rushes up to Chan.

Chan quickly shakes his head. “No, I don’t think I do. But I’m sure it’s just somewhere in your room,” the CEO says.

But his voice is shaky and he isn’t looking Minho in the eyes, so he’s pretty sure that Chan knows more than he’s saying. Still, Minho deflates. “Right, I think I’m just gonna clean up here then and go to bed.”

“Don’t worry about cleaning up,” Chan says quietly. “You look tired, so you can just head upstairs and relax. I’ll clean up this mess.”

And Minho feels like he might actually cry. So instead of fighting Chan on it, he just nods and makes his way up the stairs to his room. He’ll cry when he’s alone. Or maybe he won’t. Maybe Chan is right and he’ll find his dictionary once he wakes up. Hopefully, he’ll be able to find it.

(The next day his dictionary is sitting on the coffee table in the living room looking a little worse for wear, but when Minho opens the cover he can see his mother’s handwriting.

_You’ll do great things, Minho. And your father and I will always be here cheering you on._

Minho closes the book and holds it close to his chest.

“See, all safe and sound,” Chan says from the doorway to the living room.

Minho looks up at Chan who looks tired and worn out… and suspiciously dirty. Like he had been rooting around trash trying to find something. But… no, he wouldn’t do that.

“Thank you,” Minho says anyway.

Chan doesn’t say anything, just gives him a soft smile before heading up to his room.)

***

“Oi, brownie boy,” Minho calls out to Felix when he walks into Bang Records a few weeks later.

Felix looks up, a bright smile already on his face. “Minho!” He calls excitedly.

“What have you got today?” Minho asks in lieu of a greeting.

“Brownies, made especially for you,” Felix says while holding out a container. 

Minho takes it eagerly, already opening the lid to dig into the sweets. A hand, bigger than Felix’s, interrupts his plan though when it snatches the container out of his hands. “Hey!” Minho exclaims loudly. “Those are-” he cuts off when he looks up and sees who is staring at him. “Chan.”

“C’mon, let’s go get some real food,” Chan says.

Minho opens his mouth to protest, but the dark glint in Chan’s eyes makes him snap his mouth closed instead. He watches as Chan drops the container of brownies back on Felix’s desk before grabbing Minho’s hand and dragging him toward the elevators. When Minho glances back, Felix is watching them with a fond smile and bright eyes. Minho fights the urge to laugh.

“Where are we going?” Minho asks after Chan has dragged him out of the building and onto the crowded street.

Chan doesn’t answer or let go of Minho’s hand. Minho allows himself to be dragged behind Chan as the older CEO leads him to an unknown destination through the crowded sidewalk. “Why does Felix bring you brownies?” Chan asks after a moment of silence.

“Felix brings everyone brownies,” Minho points out.

“Yes, but he specifically brought you brownies today,” Chan says sharply while staring at Minho. 

“He heard I was coming and wanted to cook me something,” Minho tells him easily. “It’s not like it’s a thing.”

“Good. He shouldn’t be making you brownies. Not when I’m your husband.”

_Your husband._

The words rattle in Minho’s brain. Why was Chan addressing him like that, was he jealous. _No, he’s not jealous,_ Minho thinks. _He’s just worried that people will get the wrong idea. There’s nothing more to it._

“Don’t worry, he’s just a friend,” Minho says to reassure him.

Chan just grips Minho’s hand tighter, but he doesn’t say anything else. Minho doesn’t say anything else either.

(They end up at the diner again ordering two strawberry milkshakes and burgers and fries. They don’t share a slice of cake this time, but Chan doesn’t stop touching him. Minho doesn’t fight against him.)

***

The fourth rule that Minho breaks is not a rule that he means to break. It happens after Minho catches a bad cold, and he finds it hard to move much less clean up after himself. So he finds himself making a mess wherever he goes.

Chan had been mad for at least half a day before he saw how sick Minho was, and then he decided to just help him as much as he could. “I’m sorry,” Minho croaks out as he watches Chan pick up his mess of tissues that have been laid out on the coffee table.

“Minho, you’re sick. Don’t worry about it,” Chan tells him quietly.

“But you’re supposed to be working right now,” Minho croaks.

“I can work from home just fine,” Chan tells him. “Besides, someone has to make sure that you are alive and well.”

Minho burrows deeper into the blanket that Chan had covered him with once the younger had come downstairs. “If you’re sure,” he mutters.

A hand gently pets his hair and Minho closes his eyes, basking in the attention. “I’m sure,” Chan says lightly. “Now you got another letter, did you want me to read it to you?”

Minho stares at Chan with wide, vulnerable eyes. “Would you?” Hearing his mother's words have always made him feel better in the end.

_My dearest son, Minho_

_Hearing about your life and your friend fills my heart with warmth. It makes me feel better knowing how happy you are in America. I was worried, even during those first few months, but now you seem much happier and lighter._

_And thank you for the money, though I keep saying it is not needed. Please don’t forget to take care of yourself._

_Your father and I send our love._

“Your mother seems to really love you,” Chan says once he’s finished reading the letter.

“She does,” Minho agrees. “I have to pay her back after everything that she and my father have done for me. They’ve supported me through everything, and I just really need to make sure I can show my appreciation for everything that they’ve done.”

“That’s very noble of you,” Chan says quietly.

“No. It’s just being a good son,” Minho argues. “It’s what anyone would do.”

“If you say so,” Chan says.

Minho doesn’t say anything back to him, just shuts his eyes and allows sleep to overtake him once more. He doesn’t even notice when Chan starts petting his hair again.

When he wakes up it’s to a clean living room and steaming soup sitting on the table in front of him. Chan is nowhere to be found, but Minho figures that he’s just working in his office. Smiling, Minho sits up as best as he can to start eating the soup that is laying out in front of him.

(Later, when Minho is feeling better, he’ll overhear a call that he probably shouldn’t have. One where Chan keeps thanking his mother for giving him her recipe for soups and what medicines people with colds should and shouldn’t take.

Something warm fills Minho at the sound of the conversation.)

***

Sometimes Minho forgets that his life is just one big game of play pretends, but it’s days like today that he is starkly reminded about it. Chan has been acting strange since Minho had been sick. He’s been distant and awkward around Minho and been talking more to Changbin. Whether it’s in person or on the phone.

Minho tries to act like it doesn’t bother him. 

But when Jisung bounces up to him with a bright smile and concerned eyes, he knows that he’s not doing a good job. “We’re going out, just us two,” he tells Minho. He doesn’t leave any room for argument. 

Minho turns back to Chan’s office where the door is closed. Changbin had just stormed in there only five minutes ago, and Minho has been staring at the locked door ever since. Jisung’s arrival is not a surprise, not when he saw Felix texting both Seungmin and Jisung.

“Where?” Minho asks tiredly. 

Jisung gives him a smile before dragging him away from Felix’s desk. Minho halfheartedly fights him, but in the end, he allows Jisung to take him wherever the younger wants to go.

Which is how he breaks the fifth rule, bringing someone over without letting Chan know. He had tried to fight Jisung on it, but the younger wasn’t listening. He just pulled into Chan’s driveway like it was his second house.

“Jisung, I’m serious, he said to not bring people over without letting him know,” Minho argues as he gets out of Jisung’s car.

“I don’t care and neither should you. Maybe this will make him actually talk to you again,” Jisung says with a shrug. “Now do you have your keys?”

Minho hesitates, looking between the dark blue front door and Jisung’s outstretched hand before he sighs. One hand reaches into his pocket to grab his keys while the other runs through his hair. “If I get yelled at, I’m blaming you,” Minho warns.

“Wouldn’t be the first or last time,” Jisung says while grabbing Minho’s keys.

Minho sighs, following Jisung into the house while praying for nothing to go wrong. 

***

“I just don’t know where everything went wrong,” Minho groans.

For some reason, Jisung decided that day-drinking was the best plan. He failed to mention that Minho would be the only person drinking. This was later explained with Jisung saying he still had to drive home.

After a few drinks, even though Minho had sworn he was never going to drink again after getting blackout drunk and marrying a stranger, Minho can’t find it in himself to care that he’s the only one drinking. He’s splayed out on the living room floor staring at the ceiling while Jisung is perched up on the sofa. “What do you mean?” Jisung asks.

Minho’s head flops to the side to look at Jisung. “Chan! He’s so awkward around me now, but it only happened after he took care of me while I was sick. And now all he does is talk to Changbin. He won’t even talk to me anymore.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Jisung reassures the older. “He’s probably just going through things.”

“But is he?” Minho cries out. “Or is it just because of me? Did I do something wrong?”

He’s close to crying, but he refuses to let alcohol cloud his emotions again. Last time he had gotten drunk, married, and had sex with someone he had never met before. And now he’s a married man and refuses to lose control again, especially since he always seems to make bad choices when he does.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Jisung assures him. “Chan is just an idiot.”

“He really is,” Minho agrees.

He doesn’t know how long it’s been, but the next thing he remembers is Chan coming in and starting to yell. Jisung says something back, but Minho can’t focus. At least until Chan focuses solely on Minho. “What were you even thinking?” He yells.

Minho furrows his brow, unable to fully comprehend what Chan could mean. “You were being mean, and Jisung was being nice,” Minho mumbles. 

“Jisung, get out,” Chan seethes out. “I need to talk to my husband about following the rules.”

“So he’s your husband now, huh?” Jisung asks. But he’s out the door before anyone can say anything.

When Jisung is gone, Chan’s focus is back on Minho. “Are you drunk?” He asks.

“I’m not drunk,” Minho slurs out. “Or maybe just a little.”

“So you’re drunk and breaking rules. And it’s not even that hard to follow them. You even wrote them down to remember for God’s sake, but here you go breaking all of them,” Chan cries out.

“Now you’re just being mean,” Minho slurs. “You’ve been mean ever since I’ve been sick, and Jisung had to get me away from you and get me drunk to even make me feel better. And I’m tired of this, I’m just tired.”

All the fight seems to leave both Minho and Chan’s bodies at the same time. “Minho, I-” Chan starts, but Minho ignores him.

“I’m going to bed,” Minho says. “I’m sorry for breaking a rule, I’ll do something tomorrow to make up for it.”

They don’t talk for the rest of the night. Chan doesn’t even call for Minho to come back. 

***

The days following are filled with awkwardness and stilted dates. Minho ignores Chan whenever he can while they’re in the same house, which means he spends all of his time hiding in his room. Luckily, he’s able to apply for a few jobs during this time of hiding. 

And it’s with this luck that he is able to land a job interview. It’s for a long term substitute teaching position, but considering how close it is to Christmas break, Minho doesn’t think he can complain about his job. Plus, he’s starting to run low on the money in his savings account, and he still has to worry about sending money to his parents to pay back his loans.

“You’ve got this,” Minho whispers as he stares at himself in the mirror, dressed up more than he has been in a while.

He’s wearing dress slacks and a nice white button-up. His hair is brushed and slicked back. He looks professional. Which is all that he can ask for at this moment in time. “Why are you so dressed up?” A voice that he hasn’t heard from in a while asks.

Minho looks through his window and sees the familiar eyes of Chan Bang. He’s standing in the doorway to Minho’s room, a cautious smile playing on his lips. Minho stares at him for a long moment before sighing. “I have a job interview,” Minho tells him.

“Oh,” Chan says. “Do you need any help?”

Minho shakes his head. “No, I just have to get to the school now.” 

He turns away from the mirror to grab his things from where they lay on his bed. Chan is still standing in the doorway studying him. “I can drive you,” the CEO says suddenly.

And Minho wants to fight him on this. Wants to tell Cahn that he can do it himself, but looking at the hopeful eyes of his husband he can’t find it in himself to turn the other away. “Fine. Thank you,” he says.

“It’s no problem,” Chan says quickly. He clears his throat before speaking again. “Um, are you ready to go?”

Minho allows one more nervous look in the mirror before he nods. “Yeah, it’s now or never.”

“You’ve got this,” Chan says as encouragement.

“Yeah. I’ve got this,” Minho repeats.

***

“Thank you for your time today. We’ll contact you shortly about the job,” the interviewer, a woman with ruby red lips and long blonde hair tells Minho. Her face gives nothing away, but Minho is hopeful that he was able to impress her. 

“Thank you,” Minho says sincerely while bowing his head. 

He walks out of the interview room and outside the school building. He doesn’t expect to see anyone, but then he catches sight of the dark sports car sitting in one of the parking spaces. If he looks closely inside he can see Chan sitting in the driver's seat with sunglasses covering his eyes. He makes his way over to the car, opening the passenger door and sliding inside. Chan looks at him. “How did it go?”

Minho shrugs. “I think it went well,” he says honestly. “But there’s a lot more qualified people than me.”

“Don’t say that,” Chan says in a scolding tone. “You are just as qualified as anyone else, it doesn’t matter what anyone else has to say.”

Minho wants to tell Chan that he doesn’t know. That Minho had been fired because of how “unqualified” he was. That he can try as hard as he wants, but most people aren’t going to want to hire him. But looking at Chan, he doesn’t think he could argue with the older if he wanted to. “Maybe you’re right,” Minho admits.

“Of course I’m right,” Chan tells him. “I’ve never been wrong about anything in my life.”

Minho laughs, loud and bright. “I’m sure that’s a lie.”

Chan pouts as he starts to pull out of the parking lot. “Now that’s just mean,” he says.

Minho shrugs. “I’m just telling the truth.”

The awkwardness of the past few weeks seems to disappear as they joke around on the way home. And Minho loves it, craves it in a way that he’s never understood before.

***

The sixth rule is broken after Minho had successfully gotten the job. The rule is broken when he realizes that he had woken up late. And that would be ok, but he had woken up late on a Wednesday. He’s scrambling to get dressed and everything around and packed that he needs for the day. It’s the only thing on his mind, and maybe that is the reason he forgets that today is trash day and it was his chore to have the trash ready to be picked up.

It’s only when he gets a few text messages during his first break of the day that he realizes.

**Husband**

**10:43 am**

You forgot to take out the trash

But I’m more worried about you forgetting breakfast. Please don’t forget tomorrow. I can drive you to work so you don’t have to worry about being late.

Minho smiles at his messages. At least Chan didn’t seem too mad about the turn of events of the morning. It’s honestly the best thing that he could’ve asked for.

***

The seventh rule gets broken during Christmas break. Minho is walking through the city after tagging along with Chan to work. They were going to go see a movie after he got off of work, but Minho was bored sitting in the office. Hyunjin and Jeongin were both busy working on the Christmas charity party they do every year, and Felix was busy doing actual secretary work. Jisung and Seungmin were both recording for a company-wide Christmas album, and Changbin was doing early Christmas presents.

So Minho was left alone. He didn’t mind, it was nice being able to walk around and just be by himself again. Plus, he didn’t know if he would be able to have this after his time was up being Chan’s husband.

A soft meowing coming from an alleyway breaks Minho out of his thoughts. “Hello?” Minho calls quietly into the alley.

A soft meow answers him. The substitute teacher moves his way further into the alley, searching low for the cause of the meow. “Kitty?” Minho calls again.

This time, the meow is closer. Minho spots a small orange and white tabby kitten huddling next to the dumpster. The poor cat looks barely old enough to survive on its own, and the small form is already shaking. Minho’s heart breaks watching the small kitten meow pitifully.

“Hey little guy,” Minho says quietly.

The cat meows again before standing up on shaky legs and moving closer to Minho. Minho reaches out a trembling hand to run his fingers through the matted fur. “Oh you poor thing,” he says quietly. 

He knows that he shouldn’t do this, but he has to. He has to save this poor kitten, otherwise, it won’t survive on its own. Deciding to face the wrath of Chan later, he brings his other hand to the kitten and gently lifts it into the air.

The cat curls up in his hands, burrowing closer to the warmth. “Yeah, it’s going to be ok,” Minho promises the poor cat. “Everything is going to be ok.”

(Chan is mad for all of five seconds. And then the cat opens its eyes and stares at him while meowing, and Chan is just as besotten as Minho is. They decide to name the kitten Soonie. After some deliberation on whether Soonie is lonely or not, Chan brings home another kitten a few days later that they decide to call Doongie.)

***

“That cats are going to be fine,” Chan says once again.

Minho looks at them curled up on their bed and still can’t decide if he’s willing to leave them or not. “But they’re still so small,” Minho protests.

“Come on, it will be the first time going out in a while,” Chan whines.

And it’s true. After bringing home Soonie and bringing her back to a more healthy state, Minho and Chan haven’t been able to go out as much. And now it’s after the New Year, and Minho is working once more. Both he and Chan work hard at their jobs, which doesn’t really leave time for them to go out and enjoy themselves.

But Chan had decided that they needed a night out, just the two of them, to unwind and relax. And Minho had been talked into it, but now staring at his baby kittens, he can’t decide if he’s going to go through with it or not.

“Chan,” Minho says again.

Chan doesn’t bother listening to him. Instead, he wraps a warm hand around Minho’s wrist and drags him up and out of the house. “We are going on this date,” Chan says in a serious voice. “Even if I end up having to drag you everywhere.”

“I’m ok with that,” Minho says without thinking. 

Chan’s ears flush, but he doesn’t say anything. Minho takes it as a win. “In fact, I’m pretty much down with anything at this point. But we have to worry about the kids.”

Chan coughs. “Minho.”

Minho laughs. “I’m kidding.”

***

The date is fun. Chan ends up taking them bowling, and Minho ends up beating Chan horribly. He loves watching the way Chan squirms as his attempts of showing off don’t work. “The game is rigged,” Chan whines at some point.

“It’s ok. The loser can buy dinner,” Minho tells him.

“I was gonna buy dinner anyways,” Chan groans.

“Great. Because I really wasn’t going to,” Minho says with a smile.

Chan groans. “Of course you weren’t.”

All in all, even after Chan had to buy dinner, Minho absolutely loved the night out. But coming home and snuggling with his babies make him feel even better.

(He doesn’t even protest to Chan taking his photo when the cats are laying on him. He just asks for his husband to send the pictures to him.)

***

“You two are disgusting,” Hyunjin says during lunch one day. 

Minho and Chan are crowded together watching the security cam footage of Chan’s house on their phone. Not because they are worried, but because they like to check up on the cats sporadically. It’s only when Hyunjin speaks up that Minho realizes just how close they are sitting together; that he can feel the heat radiating off of Chan’s body and feel the other's thigh pressed tightly against his own.

Chan also startles, as if he also just realized how close they were sitting.

Minho jerks away from Chan then, his phone clattering on the table before him. He hopes that it isn’t broken, but there are other matters to worry about right now. Like the mischievous faces staring at both him and Chan as they move away from each other like children who have been caught by their parents.

“Yah, Hyunjin,” Minho sputters. “I’ll put you in an air fryer if you keep talking.”

Hyunjin is too used to this threat and yet too scared to go against it, mimes zipping his lips shut as he turns away from Minho to whine to his boyfriend. Jisung is barely containing his laughter, his eyes lit up like Christmas tree lights. But he just focuses on Hyunjin who is whining about Minho being mean.

Jeongin is pointedly ignoring the couples at the table as he does the responsible thing and checks his emails. Or maybe he’s scrolling through Twitter. He has been known to spend hours of his day just reading random tweets from fans of the artists in the company. Research, he had told Minho. Minho thinks he just likes watching them freak out if something happens that they had talked about.

Seungmin is not at the table today, Changbin had picked him up earlier to whisk him away for a lunch out. No one had wanted to ask the couple to stay, not when Seungmin had looked so excited to have some alone time with his busy boyfriend. And Felix is now joining in Hyunjin’s and Jisung’s conversation. 

Minho and Chan are left to their own devices. “We’re not gross, right?” Chan asks quietly.

Minho can feel Chan’s breath against his ear as he asks the question. “I think Hyunjin actually called us disgusting. Though I’m sure that was aimed more toward you than anyone else,” Minho says just as quietly back.

He can see Chan pout out of the corner of his eye. Something in his chest flips as he feels giddier. He can’t explain why, but watching Chan pout amuses him. Especially when he’s usually a stoic businessman. “You know, words hurt, Minho,” Chan tells him.

Minho shrugs. “But I don’t care.”

He laughs at the even more exaggerated pout on Chan’s lips.

(Somewhere in the back of his mind he wonders how long this could last. When will he be sitting in Bang Records for the last time? He decides to ignore it.)

***

The last rule is not broken by Minho himself, instead, Chan is the one to shatter it. 

It happens on an unsuspecting day. It was sunny out when Minho had made it to the school. And it had been a good day, the children all laughed and listened to him as he followed his lesson plan. Everything seemed to be going right, at least until the principal and superintendent of the school asked to meet with him after the last bell.

It was there that Minho was told his time was up. The teacher he had been subbing for was coming back to work on Monday, and since it was Friday this was going to be his last day. Minho had smiled and nodded his head along with what they were saying, but he couldn’t help but let the worries fester in the back of his head.

With the loss of income, how was he going to keep sending money to his parents? Did he have enough to cover the expenses if he couldn’t find a job until the new school year again? What was going to happen to him now?

He didn’t let himself dwell on these questions while he packed up his meager possessions and made sure he had grabbed everything that was his. He didn’t even think about them as he got into the Uber that he had called to take him back to Chan’s.

No, nothing happened until he was standing in front of Chan’s door, hand poised to knock to see if Chan wanted to eat dinner with him. The door opened before he could, Chan’s startled face staring at Minho’s once the wooden door had fully swung open.

“Minho?” Chan asked quietly.

And it was then that Minho allowed himself to drown in his worries and cry.

***

“Minho?” Chan asks worriedly as he brings Minho inside of his office. “What’s wrong. Are the cats ok? Are you ok?”

Minho just lets out a loud sob: unable to answer Chan’s questions. _Was he ok?_

“Minho?” Chan asks more frantically.

“I got let go,” Minho says around the sobbing. “And it’s fine, I knew this was temporary, but I’m trying to repay my parents for everything that they’ve done, and nothing seems to be going right. Every time I feel like I can finally pay back everything they spent to send me to college, something goes wrong.”

He doesn’t let Chan speak, the words falling from his lips now. “I couldn’t find a job out of uni, but I got hired for one here in the United States. And even though I absolutely knew nothing, I figured this would be my only chance. So I came here with barely anything and lived in a horrible place just so I could pay my parents back.”

Chan’s arms wrap around Minho as they both sink to the floor, but he doesn’t try to say anything, so Minho continues. “But I got fired not long after the school year started because I wasn’t qualified enough. So I got drunk for the first time; and it was horrible, absolutely nothing like the movies make it out to be.” This gets a chuckle out of Chan as he wipes away the steadily falling tears from Minho’s eyes. “And then I woke up married to someone who hated me, and jobless still. And I had no idea what I was going to do because I needed to work to get money and I needed to keep paying my parents back.”

“I didn’t hate you,” Chan says softly.

Minho cries harder. “Yes, you did. You were so cold and didn’t even want to be married to me in the first place. And I don’t know why.”

“I didn’t hate you,” Chan reiterates. “I was annoyed that I allowed myself to do something so stupid. I was worried that you were just some gold digger that was hoping to get all of my money.”

“Why would you even think I’m a golddigger,” Minho says between sobs. “I lived in an apartment with mold. Everything I own fits in one suitcase, and I’m pretty sure all my socks have holes in them. I can’t even buy new socks.”

And Chan doesn’t know what to say to that. “I...I mean it could have been a ploy,” he stutters out.

Minho cries harder. “I barely passed my drama class and creative writing class. That’s a plot that even I couldn’t think of.”

And Chan doesn’t really know what to say to that. “I’m sorry,” he decides to state.

Minho’s cries lessen. “Is that why you were such an asshole when we first met? Because you thought I wanted your money even though I had absolutely no idea who you were?”

Chan shrugs. “You can’t really be too careful. Everyone I’ve ever dated has always wanted something from me.”

“I didn’t even let you buy me food,” Minho counters. And then he thinks about all of their “dates” and how easily he let Chan pay for everything. Maybe that wasn’t exactly true. “Well, I guess for a while.”

“I guess I was kind of an idiot.”

“Yeah. You are.”

“Hey!”

Minho laughs, his crying quieting down until it’s only a few sniffles. Chan doesn’t move from his spot on the floor next to the younger. Minho doesn’t say anything, enjoying the feeling of the other’s arms wrapped tightly around him. He even slumps against Chan’s side a little bit more, allowing his head to fall on the other’s shoulder. “We both were stupid,” Minho says once he’s calm enough. “I don’t even know what made me think that getting that drunk would accomplish anything.”

“I mean, you got a husband,” Chan tries to joke.

“Why did you even marry me?” Minho asks.

Chan shrugs as best as he can with Minho’s head still leaning against his shoulders. “Even drunk you were captivating. And I had the rings for a friend, which they’re very mad that I used them by the way, and the idea just wouldn’t leave my head.”

Minho snorts. “That makes me feel better.”

His eyes start to droop, exhaustion filling his body like it usually does after he’s cried as hard as he did. “Just go to sleep,” Chan says quietly.

Minho doesn’t know if he dreamed it or not, but he swears he could feel Chan kissing the top of his head before he fell asleep.

***

The days pass by quickly, so quickly that Minho doesn’t even realize the end has come. The day is sunny and bright without a cloud in the sky; it almost feels like a lie to Minho. He had never wondered what the day of his divorce would look like; but as he stares out the windows in Chan’s office, he doesn’t think he imagined it to look like a day from a fairytale.

“Everything has been sorted,” Jamie had said when the door was firmly shut, “So now all you guys have to do is sign.”

And it’s only then that Minho realizes that this really is the end. That he’s going to have to go back to his moldy, run-down apartment and hope to God that he can still afford it without a steady job. He has to say goodbye to Chan and the rest of the friends that he’s made here. And it’s only then that Minho realizes that he isn’t ready. 

But he can’t say anything. Not when Chan is staring at the papers with a pen in his hand and an unreadable emotion in his eyes. Minho came into his life unexpectedly and only caused more problems and stress to the man, he can’t beg to stay. Not when he knew there was a countdown happening; it’s not Chan’s fault that Minho forgot to count.

“I guess we should figure out what to do about the cats then,” Minho says quietly as he moves to stand next to Chan.

The CEO looks at him with surprised eyes. “What?”

“Well, obviously they’re both our cats. So we’ll have to figure out who gets to keep them when,” Minho explains. He reaches out to pick up his own pen even as his mind screams to not go through with it.

“Minho,” Chan breathes out, his breath warm against Minho’s cheek.

Minho turns, seeing Chan much closer than he was before. “Yes?” He asks quietly.

They both decide to ignore Jamie as she stares at the door wondering where she went wrong in life. Instead, their eyes are only for each other. Chan opens his mouth like he wants to say something, and for a brief second Minho allows himself to hope, but then Chan turns his gaze away. “You can just keep them. I can pay for the food and litter,” he tells the younger quietly.

“Oh,” Minho says. “Ok.”

“Unless,” Chan starts. 

“Unless?” Minho prods.

“Unless you want to just stay.” Chan turns his gaze back to Minho. “And we can keep going on dates. And we can keep cuddling with the kittens when we get home. Maybe we could even get a dog.”

“And we would be roommates?” Minho asks.

Chan looks at the papers. “If that’s what you want,” Chan says quietly. “Or we could just tear these papers up and act as if nothing has changed.”

“Chan?” Minho asks breathlessly. “What are you saying?”

An arm wraps around Minho’s waist as Chan pulls him impossibly closer. And then he’s staring at Chan’s dark eyes filled with sincerity as he begins talking again. “I’m saying that I love you, Minho Lee. I don’t know when I started to love you, or when I started craving your company. But you calling Felix Brownie Boy and him giving you a container of brownies just for you annoys me, and I hated seeing you and Jisung drunk together. I want to be the one you turn to when you have problems, and I want to be the one to take care of you. I don’t want you to walk out of this office and never see me again. I want you in my house, in my bed, everywhere. I never want to know life without you again.”

Minho swallows, his mind whirling with all the information that Chan gave him. _Maybe it really was ok to hope,_ Minho thinks quietly to himself. “Chan,” Minho says quietly. The older lets out a shaky breath, but Minho just moves to rest his forehead against the other. “I don’t know when everything changed. I don’t know when I started to like you instead of just being intrigued by you. All I know is that I don’t want to get divorced anymore; I don’t want anything to change. I want you and me, and our cats, and our friends. And maybe a dog, but if we get a dog then we have to get another cat.”

Chan gives a watery laugh at the last sentence, and Minho allows himself to smile brightly. “So let’s not sign these papers and let’s not change anything. I love you too, and I want to be with you for as long as I can.”

“As cute as this is, I kind of need to know what is happening,” Jamie says loudly; interrupting the tender moment between the two men.

“We’re not getting divorced,” Chan says loudly enough for Jamie to hear. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”

He doesn’t sound sorry at all.

“I’m still billing you for this,” Jamie says, but Minho can hear the smile in her voice. “But I’m happy for you.”

Chan doesn’t say anything and neither does Minho. He just stares at Chan’s eyes while hearing the door shut and Jamie loudly proclaiming to not go in there for a while. He starts to quietly laugh, but Chan kissing him quickly shuts him up.

And maybe having a fairytale-esque day was the perfect setting for what transpired today.

(Later, as he lays in Chan’s bed for the first time cuddling the CEO he’ll learn that Chan didn’t even realize the nine months were up. Or that he even remembered this marriage had an expiration date. Minho will eventually kiss him senseless because he doesn’t understand how he was able to find someone like Chan.)

(And much later, he’ll think about those coming of age movies again and that maybe some good things can come from drinking. He’ll still refuse to ever go to a bar alone again - or to ever get blackout drunk. The last time he woke up married, he doesn’t know what would happen if he ever did it again.)

***

_1 year later_

“I still can’t believe you never told us you got married,” Minho’s mother says as Minho leads her inside of his house.

Minho doesn’t know what to say. “It was a complicated time,” he decides to tell her.

“And you couldn’t even invite us to the wedding. We would’ve flown to the U.S. for you,” his mother says sternly.

“I know, but we honestly didn’t want to make a big deal about it.”

“Don’t worry, Channie also didn’t tell me he got married. I had to find out through the tabloids,” Chan’s mother, who is seated on the couch cuddling their dog, Berry, says.

“Kids these days,” Minho’s mother says exasperatedly. 

She moves to sit on the couch next to Mrs. Bang, their newest cat, Dori, jumping onto the couch and meowing loudly to get her attention and pets. Minho’s dad is in the backyard chatting quietly to Chan’s father. And Minho can see as Chan makes his way down the stairs after finishing up some last-minute paperwork.

Hyunjin and Jisung are supposed to get here soon, Changbin and Seungmin not far behind them. Jeongin has a few classes he has to finish before he picks up Felix and they both arrive. They’re celebrating Minho finding a new job at a school that he actually enjoys and with more options for him instead of just teaching music, including becoming the supervising teacher of the dance club. They’re also celebrating the “one year” anniversary of Minho and Chan’s marriage, but that’s beside the point.

Minho smiles as Chan makes his way to him. Chan greets him with a small kiss to the cheek before he turns to greet the guests. Minho stares at Chan and relishes in the fact that he’s able to do so. Even after a year, Minho can’t help but feel like he’s living in a dream.

“So what was the wedding like?” Minho’s mother asks, effectively breaking Minho out of his thoughts.

The two husbands turn to each other and share a secret smile. They never did disclose to the media that their marriage was a mistake, but maybe they should tell their parents. If only to get them to stop asking about the wedding.

“Actually, mom,” Minho starts. “We have something to tell you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed this, sorry it was so long.
> 
> And to whoever prompted this I really hope you enjoyed reading it.


End file.
